Taiwan Quick Take: Oral awareness insufficient

STAFF WRITER WITH CNA

Sun, Aug 06, 2006 - Page 3

Twenty percent of the nation's undergraduates under the age of 20 have had at least one of their molar teeth extracted because of tooth decay, according to a study released yesterday by the Taiwan Oral Health Society. The rate is 13 times higher than that of Japan, which shows that awareness of oral healthcare among Taiwanese was insufficient, the society said. The study was conducted by the society in cooperation with 16 countries in July and August last year. A total of 2,800 undergraduates under 20 from Taiwan and Japan were surveyed, with the results set to be combined later with the findings of similar surveys conducted in the other countries involved.